Nowhere To Run (To Protect And Serve)

by Mary Eason

He ignored her questions for the moment. “Is there another way out of the house from upstairs?”

  “No. There’s nothing.”

  “Come with me. Hurry.” He grabbed her by the arm and all but dragged her from the room. There was only one other room on the floor other than Simone’s and the one Jordan was using. A quick check proved it was clear. In spite of the urgency, Riley forced himself to listen for a moment before acting.

  No sound came from the downstairs rooms just yet. A thousand different scenarios – all of them bad – ran through his imagination.

  “Jordan, open up.” He whispered close to the door, not daring to raise his voice.

  When she did, he pushed Simone inside and followed then quickly relocked the door.

  “What’s going on?” Simone clearly had no idea what danger lay just outside her door.

  “Some very bad people are downstairs. We have to get out of here.” Riley slipped to the window and peered out. A shadow moved down below. Riley ducked quickly away. Someone was checking for a way inside the house. They’d find the open window he’d left soon.

  “Do you have a gun?” he asked Simone. “Anything that might be used as a weapon””

  “No…wait, my husband had an old shotgun he used to take with him on his boat. He worried about pirates,” she explained. “It’s in my closet. On the top shelf, if I remember correctly.”

  He handed Jordan his weapon. “Stay here with Simone. I’ll be right back.” It took only a minute to locate the shotgun and shells. He was just outside Jordan’s room when he heard someone moving around downstairs. There would be no escaping now. Their only hope was taking the intruders by surprise. He had no idea how many there might be.

  “You know how to use this?” He spotted Simone’s hesitant nod in the darkness. “Good. Stay here with Jordan and whatever you do, don’t let anyone inside.” He started for the door when Jordan stopped grabbed his arm.

  “Where are you going?” Her eyes searched his.

  “To see if I can slip up on them. Maybe take them by surprise.”

  “Riley, no.” She pleaded with him. “It’s too dangerous. You don’t even know how many are down there.”

  “Jordan, it’s our only chance. Polk’s radioing for help, but who knows how long that might take? I’ll be okay. Don’t worry.” He leaned in and kissed her lips before gently removing her fingers from his arm.

  Once he’d reached the door he cracked it a sliver and peered outside.

  Someone was coming up the stairs. Little more than a silhouette dressed in dark clothing.

  Before the man registered the sound of the door opening, Riley got the jump on him and slugged him hard in the face. The man fell forward into Riley’s arms almost driving him to his knees. Somehow, he managed to keep the noise to a minimal in spite of the throb that ran through his hand. It felt as if he’d shattered a couple of knuckles.

  Riley half-pushed half carried the unconscious man to the tiny bathroom down the hall and cuffed him to the sink. He grabbed the man’s weapon, a Glock, then closed the door and started down the steps slowly, weapon in the ready position.

  He’d reached the ground floor when a familiar acrid scent assaulted his senses.

  Smoke!

  Someone had set a fire. Riley headed for the direction of the smell when something moved in his peripheral vision. Riley whirled toward the sound in time to see a blinding flash followed instantly by resounding crack of a gunshot. Within seconds, searing pain ripped through his right shoulder, propelling him through the air.

  He went down hard. His head rebounded off the hardwood floor. The intensity of the pain pulsed with each beat of his heart. He could feel himself losing consciousness. He fought to hold on. Someone stood over him. The shooter. He tried to lift the weapon but it felt as if it were glued to the floor.

  His eyesight blurred. His thoughts became distant. A minute later, he’d lost the will to survive and a cottony darkness descended. His last thought before he could no longer think anymore was of Jordan.

  Chapter Twenty

  “Go inside the closet and stay there!” Jordan turned from Simone then started for the door.

  “You can’t go out there. He’ll kill you, child.” Simone clung to Jordan’s arm preventing her from leaving.

  “It’ll be okay. I know him. If I can stall for a little while, help is on the way.”

  “No!” Jordan had to pry Simone’s hand from her arm before giving her a little push toward the closet.

  “I promise it will be okay. Just wait in there and don’t make a sound.”

  Once Jordan was certain Simone was safely out of sight, she tucked the gun behind her back.

  Slowly, she opened the door. “I’m right here.”

  He stood a couple of steps below the landing. Overcoming her fear was all but impossible, but somehow she managed to step out of the room. Hugging the wall, Jordan was careful to stay in the shadows until she knew what she might be up against.

  Then she spotted his gun. “I’m sorry it has to end this way Jordan. I loved you.”

  It was difficult to control the rage she felt for him. “You loved me? You killed my brother. How can you say you loved me?”

  “You’re brother was a pitiful excuse for a human being. He was just taking up space. He was a user. He used you and you weren’t even aware of it.”

  “No—“

  She watched Caesar try to bring home the point with a nod. “It’s true. How can you defend him still? He destroyed us. Given the chance, he would have killed you to save his own skin.”

  “No! That’ a lie. You made him into the person he was. He was a good kid before you corrupted him--”

  His chilling laughter cut through her words. “He deserved what he got. I only wish I could have made it even more painful.”

  He was deliberately baiting her. Hoping to draw her into the light for a clear shot.

  Jordan forced back the fear. “You think if you kill me it will end there? It won’t end with my death. I made sure of it. I have proof. All those CDs you thought I didn’t know anything about. If you kill me, my friend will take them to the police--”

  “You mean your friend, Miss Jennings?”

  Panic raced through her like wildfire. Jordan couldn’t speak. He knew about Mariah.

  “It almost worked, didn’t it? I have to admit, it was a brilliant plan.”

  “What did you do to her, you son of a bitch?” The words ripped from her.

  He smiled slowly, enjoying her agony. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out about the two of you? Your past. Did you think I wouldn’t find out where you sent my CDs.”

  ***

  Riley slowly regained consciousness. He became aware of a shadow close by. Someone leaned over him. His fingers searched for his weapon but it was not within reach.

  “I’ve stopped the bleeding. Can you sit up?” His eyes adjusted to the darkness. He didn’t recognize the man.

  “My name is Ruggerio Esteban. I’m a federal agent. You’ve been shot, but it’s not too serious. You’ll be okay. I need your help. There’s a man outside. Keep a watch out for him.”

  Riley managed to sit slowly, wincing as pain shot through his shoulder. “Where’s Jordan and Simone?”

  “Upstairs. Stay here. I have to stop Caesar before he kills them both. ” Ruggerio headed for the stairs. Up above he could hear the sound of voices raised in anger.

  “Jordan!

  “Dammit,” Riley pushed himself up against the wall and waited for the pain to subside. It took all his strength to leverage himself to a standing position. He’d taken but a single step away from the wall, his breathing heavy and labored. The next few minutes became a blur of action. Someone rushed through the door next to him. Riley reacted out of sheer instinct, knocking the man out with the butt of his gun.

  He took the man’s weapon and fought to keep from losing consciousness. Somehow, he managed to put one foot in front of the other, ignoring the pain in his shoulder. Riley lean
ed heavily on the railing following Ruggerio up the stair. He reached the midway mark when a shot split the darkness around them with light. Riley felt the breeze of the bullet barely miss his left ear and ducked.

  ***

  “I’ve waited a long time for this.” His tone laced with confidence, so typically Caesar. He stepped closer. She could feel his excitement but she felt nothing as she watched the man she once believed she loved prepare to take her life. No fear. No regret.

  He was so self-assured. He dropped the weapon he held and smiled. “Come, my love. One last kiss before you die.”

  Jordan drew the gun from its hiding place and leveled it at his chest, her eyes never leaving his. After a moment’s surprise, his smile widened. He didn’t believe she would use it.

  “Come now. Who are you kidding with that thing?” He sounded almost pleased by her response. “You won’t use it.”

  He took another threatening step forward.

  “You think not? Are you willing to bet your life on it?” The hardness in her tone stopped him in his tracks. For the first time since she’d known him, Caesar looked uncertain. “Is that what Jeremy thought? That you’d never go through with it? Did he know that the man he considered to be a brother was nothing more than a vile animal?”

  Caesar’s expression sobered. Rage won out over caution. He took another step. Onto the landing.

  She steadied the gun. “Don’t come any closer.” He never broke stride. He lunged for her. He’d planned to kill her with his bare hands.

  The thought of Jeremy’s last few minutes on earth -- the suffering he’d gone through. The betrayal, the decision became easy. Jordan didn’t hesitate for a second before pulling the trigger. The weapon’s fire ignited the air and shattered the tension between them.

  The comical expression of shock on Caesar’s face would be forever branded in her memory – a fitting end for a cold-blooded killer.

  She emptied the gun’s chamber into the chest of the man she’d once loved and watched as he fell backwards into the darkness. She didn’t need to check for a pulse to know she’d killed him.

  “It’s finished, Jeremy. I did it for you. You can rest in peace now.” She whispered into the air thick with smoke, and blood. And the pungent smell of gunfire. “It’s over.”

  ***

  Riley’s foot had barely cleared the next step of the stairs when another shot split the air, followed by another and another.

  Before he had time to react, the weight of a man’s body knocked him off his feet and sent him tumbling backwards down the stairs with the weight of a dead man’s body pinning him against the wall where they’d finally came to a crashing halt.

  Riley opened his eyes slowly. The world around him appeared fuzzy. His vision cleared then blurred again. His right shoulder hurt like hell. The back of his head felt as if someone had drilled a hole the size of a baseball in it. He was lying on a bed. The last thing he remembered was flying through the air with the weight of another body propelling him along. The room was the same one he’d found Jordan in.

  A dozen or more agents and those connected to the case were everywhere. Out of the corner of his eye, Riley spotted Agent Thomas and his partner, Agent Ramirez.

  “Glad to see you back amongst the living, detective.” An unfamiliar voice forced him to open his eyes a bit more. A man stood next to the bed. Tall, thin, mid-forties. He didn’t recognize him but he did the voice. “David Enfield. You had one hell of a close call. You could have been killed, Detective Donovan. The next time you interfere in a federal investigation you’ll wish you had been. You almost blew two years of undercover work by disobeying a direct order to back off.”

  “And you might want to learn to duck when a body’s heading your way, detective.” Ruggerio added from his place next to David. At least he was smiling. “Didn’t the teach you anything at Quantico?”

  “Jordan…”

  Enfield motioned to the opposite side of the bed. She sat next to him holding his hand. She was actually smiling. Riley blinked, but the smile remained.

  “Welcome back. I thought I’d lost you there for a little while.”

  I thought I’d lost you? Before he could let himself explore those words, he needed answers.

  “Santiago.”

  “Dead.” Enfield told him. “Seems Doctor Scott here has one deadly aim. She could give you a run for your money.”

  Shocked, Riley focused on Jordan’s expression. She’d been the one to kill Santiago? “Are you okay, Jordan?” He could see that she wasn’t. This had to be the worst possible end to her relationship with Santiago. Even if it was fitting and justified, taking another life would bring its own demons.

  Though she smiled, he could see the strain of what happened in her eyes. Hell, the last few weeks had taken their toll on her. “So Santiago did call the hit on Jordan’s brother.” He’d have given anything to spare her this truth.

  “No. Santiago himself was responsible for Jeremy’s death.” David wagged his head toward Ruggerio. “Agent Esteban has all the proof needed. He can place Santiago at the scene of the crime, thanks to a call Santiago made a few minutes after the murder. To Doctor Scott.”

  “Why did he do it?” Riley asked the obvious question. “He clearly loved you, Jordan.”

  “Santiago wanted to take over his family business and use it to fund another one of his ventures. Arms smuggling. Apparently, he’s been cultivating contacts with certain terrorist splinter cells since shortly after 9-11. Ruggerio discovered Santiago planned to kill both his father and his brother to take over the business. He put out a contract on their lives--”

  “The car bomb found on the Santiagos car.” Riley supplied.

  Enfield nodded. “Thanks to Doctor’s Scott’s brother, Santiago wasn’t successful. We found out right before Jeremy’s death that he was working for Santiago’s father as well. Apparently, Santiago found this out and killed him before he could spoil his plans. In a way, Jeremy is a hero.”

  Jordan smiled, overcome with emotion. After taking a deep breath, she forced herself to ask. “What about my friend, Mariah. Caesar told me--”

  “She’s fine, Doctor Scott,” Ruggerio reassured her. “I checked out Ms. Jennings after the funeral reception. We had her picked up once her flight landed in Moscow. She’s been in protective custody since. We have the CDs as well. It took some doing, but Quantico managed to crack the code. They contain detailed records of every transaction Santiago ever made with the terrorist. He even went so far as to list names. It was a virtual goldmine. If Caesar Santiago weren’t dead, we’d have enough evidence to put him away under the Patriot Act for a very long time.”

  “Thanks to you, Doctor Scott.” David added.

  Now at least it made sense why the Feds were involved. But to get as far as he had without someone catching him, Santiago had to have help from someone within the force.

  “I guess I owe you an apology, Agent Thomas. I would have bet money you were the one of Santiago’s payroll.” Riley told his former boss. While the man actually honored Riley with a grin, he knew him and Agent Thomas would never be friends. “Have you found out who his contact was on the force?”

  Enfield and Ruggerio exchanged a look that told Riley something was definitely screwy. “Detective, I think you should know we’ve arrested your partner, Frank Burbeck.” Enfield said at last. “He’s been feeding information to Santiago for years. Burbeck had a huge gambling problem. The man’s in debt up to his bald head. We believe he’s the one who set Jeremy Scott up.”

  For a long time, Riley couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. “No way. That can’t be possible. I know my partner. Frank’s a stand up guy.” But Riley kept remembering all those times in the past that Frank joked about losing money at the track. The times he’d disappear for long periods when they were working a case involving Santiago and then mysteriously Santiago would beat the rap.

  “I’m sorry, but it’s true. All of it. He confessed to everything.” Enfield assur
ed him.

  “That’s how Caesar found me?” Jordan marveled. Enfield slanted Ruggerio another troubling look. “The call I placed to Elliot, right? He traced it.”

  Enfield finally confirmed the truth with a nod. “Yes. When your friend couldn’t reach us, he naturally called detective Burbeck. He had no idea what he was setting into motion by doing that.”

  “I knew better than to call, but I was just so afraid. I didn’t know who to trust.” She said this for Riley’s benefit.

  Riley found it hard to believe the man he’d once considered a mentor had been on the take all along. “So what happens now?”

  “With the help of Ruggerio and those CDs, along what your former partner’s told us about the Santiago organization, they’ll be more arrests. Even as we speak, we’re busting a huge terrorist operation in this country. More will follow.” The gravity of the situation was apparent in Enfield’s tone.

  “How’d you guys manage to get here so quickly?” Riley asked Thomas. He struggled to keep his eyes from closing. He felt as if he could sleep for days.

  “The person we had sitting on your partner alerted us to what he was up to. We were almost ready to land on Longboat when the call reached us. Your friend Polk got word to the Constable who radioed us.” Thomas confirmed a bit reluctantly.

  “Oh, I almost forgot,” Enfield ended the brief silence left after Thomas’ last statement. “With all that’s been happening here and all. You’ll be happy to know, Doctor Scott that the CDC has ruled out Small Pox. Apparently, the first young boy brought with the symptoms came in contact with a rat infected with a strand of Monkey Pox. As you know—“

  “Monkey Pox mimics most of the symptoms for Small Pox.” Jordan confirmed.

  “Yes. The boy and everyone else will likely recover. And the virus has been contained to Longboat.” David concluded.

  “Thank God for that.” Jordan breathed a sigh of relief. “It could have been so much worse.”

  Riley shifted his injured shoulder a bit trying to find a more comfortable position. Even the slightest moment sent a shockwave of pain through his right side.